what skills and attributes will the future customer service advisor require?

Successful customer service is always going to focus on effectively and quickly solving the customer query.  Along with the traditional skills of empathy, communication and adaptability, the future Customer Service Advisor will need to adopt a more complex set of skills when delivering customer outcomes in a modern, tech-savvy and continually evolving landscape. Here are some key skills and attributes we think they will require: 

1. Multiple Communication Skills: Clear, concise, and effective communication will always be essential. This includes both written and verbal communication, as advisors will be expected to interact through a variety of channels: social media, chat, email, phone, and video. 
2. Problem-Solving: The ability to analyse complex situations and find practical solutions will be increasingly important, especially as customer inquiries become more diverse and technology-related and the simpler queries are serviced by AI-powered chatbots. 
3. Tech Savvy: Advisors will need to be confident in utilising a wide range of digital tools and platforms. They need to navigate CRM systems, AI-powered chatbots, analytics tools, and more to provide efficient service. 
4. Data Literacy: As data becomes more central to customer interactions, advisors should be able to gather, analyse, and draw insights from data to provide more personalised and data-driven solutions. 
5. Emotional Intelligence (EQ): EQ is valuable for understanding and managing emotions, both for themselves and customers. It helps build rapport and handle difficult situations with empathy and composure. 
6. Cybersecurity Awareness: In an increasingly digital world, advisors should have a basic understanding of cybersecurity best practices to help customers protect their personal information and assets. 
7. Cultural Sensitivity: As customer bases become more diverse, advisors should be culturally sensitive and aware of different customs and norms. 
8. Conflict Resolution: The ability to de-escalate conflicts and handle difficult customers professionally is a vital skill in ensuring successful customer outcomes. 
9. Sales and Upselling Skills: In some customer service roles, the ability to identify opportunities for upselling or cross-selling may be important to drive revenue. 
10. Remote Work Competence: If remote work continues to be prevalent, advisors should be comfortable with remote collaboration tools and self-disciplined in managing their work from home. 

These skills and attributes will help future Customer Service Advisors provide excellent service, adapt to changing customer needs, and navigate the evolving technology landscape effectively. Additionally, a customer-centric mindset should always be at the core of their approach.   

 The ‘Advisor of the Future’ is a smart, tech savvy individual who embraces and enjoys constant challenges and learning and who can adapt to deliver superb customer outcomes across a number of channels.  The industry needs to embrace the change and expectations of the customer advisor and must invest in training, development, remuneration but also in the career path an advisor can enjoy.  The perception of the traditional ‘Customer Service Advisor’ must be challenged and in many organisations totally re-invented.  They will become the complete customer expert and the advisor of the future is arguably the most valuable employee in any organisation.  The time has come to invest in their future and how they are perceived both internally and externally.  Without this change in perception and subsequent investment, organisations will fail in delivering successful customer outcomes, they will lose market position, as the desire for exceptional customer experiences has never been higher.